Parkinson’s UK has opened its 2027 project grants round, funding research projects of up to three years that take on the big unanswered questions in Parkinson’s. The scheme also covers Parkinson’s-like disorders such as multiple system atrophy (MSA) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), so if your work on neurodegeneration crosses into Parkinson’s, this one is well worth a look.
Preproposals are open now and close at 4pm on Thursday 7 January 2027. If you’re shortlisted, you’ll be invited to submit a full application, with a deadline of 4pm on Thursday 8 April 2027.
What the grants fund
Project grants run for up to 36 months and are built around a single research question, or a small group of related ones. Parkinson’s UK gives these examples of the kind of projects it wants to fund:
- Work to better understand the causes of Parkinson’s and Parkinson’s-like disorders, such as MSA and PSP
- Studies of the potential links between Parkinson’s and other conditions, such as diabetes
- Drug discovery and biomarker research
- Cohort studies and pilot clinical trials
Grants are usually worth up to £400,000, and the average award is £260,000, which is a useful steer when you’re costing your project.
Not in this round: GBA1
Projects focused on GBA1 won’t be accepted in the 2027 round. Parkinson’s UK is already supporting GBA1 work as a partner in the GBA1-PD Research Catalyst Program, which is using shared datasets and research assets to build a deeper understanding of GBA1-associated Parkinson’s. So if GBA1 is at the heart of your project, this isn’t the scheme for it this year.
Who can apply
You’ll need to be based at a UK university or research institute, an NHS Trust or a statutory social care organisation. Co-applicants and collaborators can be based elsewhere, including at institutions outside the UK or at pharmaceutical and biotech companies, so the scheme works well for projects with international or industry partners. If you’re pulling that kind of team together, our podcast on starting and managing academic collaborations is worth a listen.
Parkinson’s UK actively encourages applications from all sections of the community, regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.
Involving people with Parkinson’s
Parkinson’s UK expects all applicants to work with people with lived experience of Parkinson’s, both while developing the application and throughout the research. That includes lab-based projects, and it matters at the full application stage, where lay grant reviewers with lived experience of Parkinson’s assess applications alongside scientists. The charity has its own patient and public involvement support and guidance, and if you’re a lab scientist wondering how this works in practice, read our blog on implementing patient and public involvement as a lab scientist.
You’re also expected to have thought about equity, diversity and inclusion in every part of the research. Parkinson’s UK has specific guidance on ethnicity and inclusion through its race equality in research programme, and our piece on incorporating EDI in patient and public involvement covers how the two fit together.
How applications are assessed
Every preproposal is reviewed independently by three scientific members of the Parkinson’s UK College of Experts. Full applications are reviewed again by College of Experts scientists, this time alongside the lay reviewers.
It’s competitive. In the 2025 round, 38 preproposals were submitted, 21 were invited to full application and six were recommended for funding. Just over half got through the first stage, but fewer than a third of full applications were recommended for funding, so being shortlisted gets you in the room rather than over the line. For an insider’s view of what panels look for, read getting a grant funded: a view from the panel, and our blog on building a successful grant application is a good companion to it.
How to apply
Applications go through the Parkinson’s UK online grants application system, which opened for preproposals on 30 September 2026. Before you start, read the information for applicants guide for the 2027 round and the charity’s policies affecting your application.
Parkinson’s UK also ran a virtual workshop on the scheme, where you can hear from its reviewers and a recent successful applicant. The recording isn’t published, but the Research Grants team will send it if you ask at researchapplications@parkinsons.org.uk, which is also the address for any questions about applying. It’s worth watching before you start writing.
Deadline
Preproposals close at 4pm on Thursday 7 January 2027. The Christmas break falls in the middle of that window, so don’t leave the writing, or any sign-off your research office needs, until the new year.
Full details are on the Parkinson’s UK project grants page. If you want to hear about future rounds and other funding for Parkinson’s researchers, you can sign up to Synapse, the charity’s monthly e-newsletter.
Visit funding web page
(https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/research/funding-grants/project-grants)